Uyghurs at the Lebanese Border: A New Hezbollah Ploy to Justify Keeping Its Weapons?

Originally published at Alhurra by Asrar Chbaro

Suddenly, the Syrian–Lebanese border is back in the spotlight.

News sites and social media platforms in Lebanon have been abuzz with “reports” claiming unusual military movements on the Syrian side of the border, specifically across from Arsal, Hermel, and Al-Qaa, located in the Bekaa-Baalbek region along the eastern Lebanese mountain range.

The talk centers around “foreign fighters,” some of them Uyghurs, who participated in the Syrian war. According to these reports, they are now plotting “revenge” against Hezbollah.

But this tense narrative was swiftly dealt a blow by Lebanon’s military establishment.

On July 5, the Lebanese Army issued a clear statement urging accuracy and warning that “rumors stir internal tensions and harm stability.”

So what’s really happening? Are 3,500 foreign fighters truly advancing toward the Lebanese border—or is there another agenda behind the story?

The Uyghur Fighters

The Uyghurs are a Turkic-speaking Muslim minority from western China. They appeared on the Syrian battlefield early in the revolution, according to Syrian military researcher Ammar Farhoud.

Farhoud told Alhurra:

“They came to Syria to help defend the Syrian people and work to overthrow Bashar al-Assad’s regime, as their leaders have repeatedly stated.”

Many Uyghur fighters settled in Idlib and around Latakia, later founding the Turkistan Islamic Party.

They fought against the regime and clashed with Hezbollah in Aleppo and Idlib. But, Farhoud says, the idea of thousands of them now gathering on the Lebanese border is pure media exaggeration.

“These reports are inaccurate, and both Syrian and Lebanese leadership have denied or failed to confirm them,” Farhoud insists.
He adds: “It may be a pretext by Hezbollah to justify keeping its weapons deployed along the Syrian-Lebanese border.”

“Back at the beginning of the revolution, Hezbollah justified its intervention on Assad’s side by claiming it was fighting al-Qaeda and ISIS,” he recalls.

Fabrication or Genuine Threat?

Lebanese political analyst Makram Rabah also believes this narrative is exaggerated.

He considers the claims of thousands of fighters on the Syrian-Leanese border to be media fabrications promoted by Hezbollah to stir sectarian sentiment and suggest an “ISIS-like” threat as justification for its weapons and internal movements.

Retired Lebanese Brigadier General Naji Malaeb agrees with this view. He says there are no indications or field evidence of any terrorist activity, nor of the existence of an ISIS cell in Dahieh (southern Beirut), as has been claimed.

The Syrian leadership has also denied the reports.

Colonel Abdul Moneim Daher, from the Syrian Army’s 52nd Division, stated in a televised interview that the border is under army control and that no foreign armed groups are operating outside of it.

In an interview with Al Jadeed, a Lebanese local TV channel, he added:

“Coordination with the Lebanese Army and security services is at the highest level… The border has seen normal movement for months.”

Daher emphasized that “the only two entities deployed along the more than 360-kilometer border strip are the Syrian Ministries of Defense and Interior.”

However, he did note recurring seizures of weapons and drugs, as well as “suspicious” activity along the border, including the establishment of Hezbollah facilities.

Official Integration Undermines the Fears

This isn’t the first time concerns have been raised about the Syrian-Lebanese border.

Previously, clashes broke out between Syrian forces and Hezbollah fighters near the border, which concluded in a truce brokered between the two countries’ respective defense ministries.

The recent rumors about Uyghur fighters have revived those concerns. But the facts on the ground appear to tell a different story.

In reality, the new Syrian government has been working for some time to formally integrate these fighters into the Syrian army, contradicting the claims that portray them as an independent force operating along the border.

According to researcher Farhoud, the United States has also agreed with the new Syrian leadership on the decision to integrate these fighters.

On June 2, Reuters reported that Syrian officials are preparing to incorporate 3,500 fighters—mostly Uyghurs—into a unit called the 84th Division.

Osman Bughra, a leader of the Turkistan Islamic Party, officially announced the group’s dissolution and full integration into the Syrian Army.

He stated at the time:

“We now operate entirely under the authority of the Syrian Ministry of Defense. We are committed to national policy and have no ties to any external entities.”

U.S. envoy Tom Barak also commented on the move, saying:

“We believe integrating these fighters into state institutions is a more stable option than leaving them vulnerable to extremism.”

The U.S. had previously called on the new Syrian leadership to expel all foreign fighters. However, that stance shifted following President Donald Trump’s Middle East tour, according to Reuters.

During that trip, Trump met with transitional Syrian President Ahmad al-Shara and announced the start of lifting U.S. sanctions on Syria that had been in place since the Assad era.

The East Turkistan Government-in-Exile opposes the integration of Uyghur fighters into the Syrian army. It claims that China is using their presence in Syria as a justification for its brutal repression of the Muslim minority in Xinjiang.

Farhoud does not rule out limited escalation by Hezbollah, using recurring rumors about the border as a justification.

“Hezbollah may intermittently heat up this front to maintain the rationale for its military presence and keep its arms and drug smuggling networks running,” he said.

Rabah also sees the possibility of border clashes but insists that the presence of the Lebanese Army on the ground “undermines Hezbollah’s ability to use this front as an excuse to retain its weapons.”

Brigadier General Naji Malaeb put it bluntly:

“We have full confidence in the Lebanese Army and security forces to confront any potential threat.”

A U.S. Proposal on the Table

Amid all this, a potential game-changer looms.

The United States has submitted a proposal to Beirut that includes disarming Hezbollah, securing the border, regulating ties with Damascus, and implementing economic reforms, according to media reports.

In exchange, Lebanon would receive:

• Israeli withdrawal from disputed border points,

• An end to airstrikes,

• And financial and economic aid.

The proposal has been described as possibly Lebanon’s last chance, with U.S. envoy Tom Barak saying he is “very satisfied” with the Lebanese government’s response.

Now, the ball is in Hezbollah’s court.